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Banish

(Soul Retrievers)

Nicola Marsh (Goodreads Author)

3.43 · Rating details · 133 ratings · 43 reviews

Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul.

After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.

Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big ...more

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Kindle Edition, 264 pages

Published May 26th 2015 (first published August 1st 2013)

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· 133 ratings · 43 reviews

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Jun 06, 2015 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

SOOOOO.
I just read this whole book in one sitting! it blew me away.

I love my witchcraft reads and this one built up perfectly but also stayed true to the original roots of Wicca as a religion and i loved that and the respect it showed!

IM IN LOVE

If you love
MYSTERY
WITCHCRAFT
HAUNTING MURDERS
ROMANCE
TRUST ISSUES
MOTHER ISSUES
SPECIAL ABILITIES
STEAMY HOT MALE LEAD..

Then this book is for you. IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!
Also L.J.Smith has reviewed it... so that proves its amazingness!

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Jun 27, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc, books-i-own, mystery, me-likes-you, aussie, horror, fantasy, paranormal, romance, young-adult

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you Harlequin Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given of taken to alter this review.

'A doll that looked remarkably like me. With a hangman's noose around it's neck.'

Despite the colourful mix of genres, Banish was not quite the entertaining read I was in search for. A little dark and light, mysterious and fun, the romance and movement of this novel was lacking. Admittedly, I skimmed the last half, maybe partially due to my headed- See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you Harlequin Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given of taken to alter this review.

'A doll that looked remarkably like me. With a hangman's noose around it's neck.'

Despite the colourful mix of genres, Banish was not quite the entertaining read I was in search for. A little dark and light, mysterious and fun, the romance and movement of this novel was lacking. Admittedly, I skimmed the last half, maybe partially due to my headed-ness, but on whole, the last half became predictable and inadequate.

In hope to get away from the craziness at home, like her mother's psychotic episodes and death of her ex-boyfriend, Alyssa Wood flees to New York where her aunt resides, who also happens to be a Wicca High Priestess. A new attempt of normal life with a new best friend, Seth, and boyfriend, Ronan, is immediately fragmented when she sees a dead corpse on a music video clip from Ronan sent. Frightened yet curious, Alyssa searches for answers and become confronted with more and more supernaturals. Completely confused, she only knows one thing for sure, someone is following her.

Surprisingly, the main character was not one of the contributing factors of my slight distaste with Banish. Alyssa was a cautious protagonist and had a discerning eye which was complimentary to the plot as sang murder mystery despite the paranormal aspects. While she had a traumatising and terrifying past with her closest relationships, she was strong and didn't take crap from anyone. I loved how Alyssa was a cogent character without bordering artificial. An easy character to relate and sympathise for.

However, the romance was an aspect that did exceed realism and into ingenuity. The romance clearly has been tampered along before entering the story as it kicked off promptly at the beginning of Banish. Nonetheless, I appreciated the two interests as individuals. Ronan, like Alyssa was indubitably authentic and had a considerate personality. However when placed together, I couldn't sense a chemistry spark at all, rather too forced.

Okay, now just one little more qualm. I feel like a broken record when I say this but where is the world building? While Banish was a murder mystery, a paranormal witchery element was present which I found missing depth and more understanding for us readers.

All in all, Banish had numerous fantastic points but lacked in certain areas like worldbuilding and realism in romance. Unfortunately, while pretty entertaining, Banish were irritatingly forgetable. ...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author, netgalley-reviews, provided-by-publisher, arc-are

Australian author Nicola Marsh is a bestselling romance author but this novel is her first foray into young adult fiction. Banish introduces seventeen year old Alyssa Wood who, after the deterioration of her home life and then the suicide of her ex boyfriend,Noah, has moved to New York to live with her aunt. Just as things seem to be coming together for Alyssa, with improved grades and a fledgling relationship with the gorgeous Ronan, her life begins to fall apart. It starts when she sees the bo
Australian author Nicola Marsh is a bestselling romance author but this novel is her first foray into young adult fiction. Banish introduces seventeen year old Alyssa Wood who, after the deterioration of her home life and then the suicide of her ex boyfriend,Noah, has moved to New York to live with her aunt. Just as things seem to be coming together for Alyssa, with improved grades and a fledgling relationship with the gorgeous Ronan, her life begins to fall apart. It starts when she sees the body of a murdered girl trailing a music clip, and it soon becomes obvious Alyssa is being targeted by evil, but is it Noah's ghost seeking retribution or is it someone seeking revenge?

I really wanted to love Banish and the synopsis seemed promising, unfortunately I was disappointed with this novel for a number of reasons.
Firstly I was hoping Marsh, as an Australian author, would set the book in Australia, and I think it is a missed opportunity that it, live almost every other paranormal YA novel, is set in the US.
Secondly I found I didn't much like the protagonist, Alyssa, whose tantrums seemed more suited to a seven year old rather than a seventeen year old and whose constant anger, and peevish denial of the supernatural, though in part legitimate, is wearing.
Thirdly, I was annoyed by elements of repetition in the text, most noticeably that each time Alyssa thought about a character, the author seemed to feel it necessary to remind us of the same detail about them, for example 'my aunt who pushed Wicca on me', or 'my mum who started drinking when I was twelve and started hearing voices'. This contributes to the slow start of the story which doesn't really gain any momentum until three quarters of the way through.
Lastly, the identity of the 'villain' is blindingly obvious, though to be fair his motivation comes with a surprising back story.

On the positive side, the general plot of Banish is unusual and was grittier than I was expecting. I am in two minds though as to the combination of Wicca and Alyssa and her mothers talents. Though it offers interesting possibilities going forward, I'm not sure how they relate to one another.

Banish is clearly the first in a planned series of indeterminate length which will feature Alyssa. Unfortunately I don't think I am interested in continuing with the series but don't let that discourage you from giving it a try.
...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Kara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: predictable, romance, amazing-covers, paranormal-supernatural, disappointing, magic-or-powers, read-in-2013, reviewed, witches-and-warlocks, first-reads

2.5 / 5 stars --

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It was a blend of the light and dark, humor and seriousness, death and letting go. If you’re a fan of the paranormal/ghosts, most likely you’ll enjoy this read, too.

It wasn’t what I quite expected it to me. Though a quick read – it took me some time to actually get into the story, and I’ll admit that I was a tad disappointed in it. When I see gorgeous covers like that, I generally have massively high expectations that aren’t often reached. I liked th ...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Tracey (Life and Literature) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars

I'd reached the first room, bare bar a fireplace, when I heard it.
The faintest squeak of a rubber sole hitting liquid behind me.
As if in slow motion, my head came up and I locked gazes with a killer.

Banish thrusts you right into the middle of the story from the very first page. The story starts in the present and then we go back a week in time and take the journey of how things came to be. And let me tell you, a whole lot happens in the space of that week.

Alyssa Wood has escaped the town of I'd reached the first room, bare bar a fireplace, when I heard it.
The faintest squeak of a rubber sole hitting liquid behind me.
As if in slow motion, my head came up and I locked gazes with a killer.

Banish thrusts you right into the middle of the story from the very first page. The story starts in the present and then we go back a week in time and take the journey of how things came to be. And let me tell you, a whole lot happens in the space of that week.

Alyssa Wood has escaped the town of Broadwater after the suicide of her ex boyfriend Noah and her mothers escalation of psychotic episodes and continued spiral into the depths of alcoholism. After the reversal of roles over the last few years and her taking on the role as carer to her mother, Alyssa loves her life in New York, where she lives with her Wiccan High Priestess Aunt. Free from her previous burdens, Alyssa has settled into school, made an amazing friend in Seth, has been crushing on hot musician Ronan who has finally taken her on a first date and her Aunt has stopped trying to thrust her Wiccan beliefs down her throat. Life is looking up.

That is until she receives a video clip from her new boyfriend Ronan of a song he has written for her and at the end there is what appears to be a dead body. The trouble is, she is the only one that can see it. As things escalate over the next few days and Alyssa comes to the realisation that she knows who the dead girl is in the video, she makes the decision to return home to Broadwater and get to the bottom of just what exactly is going on.

Banish is filled with mystery, intrigue and suspense. Yes, there were aspects of the story that I guessed at before the details were finally revealed, but the suspense was not reduced at all because of it. I really enjoyed watching everything unfold and seeing how Alyssa would deal with it all.

Alyssa has such a deep seated belief that the supernatural doesn't exist. It's almost what drives her throughout the story. It doesn't matter what she's witnessed her mum going through or any of the Wiccan rituals that her Mum has practised or her Aunt has tried to get her to believe, Alyssa remains strong in what she believes. She was a strong character. In the face of everything that she is experiencing, she faces it head on. She's determined to get answers and find out the truth. I really liked that about her. Her grief over Noah's death was so raw. It was such a huge weight for a girl so young to be carrying around on her shoulders. But for the most part Alyssa seems much older than her seventeen years. Yes, she had her moments of freak out but I'm pretty sure if I was seeing a dead body that nobody else could see I'd be freaking out as well.

My illicit crush had entered a new category all together, where gawky seventeen year olds could end up dating hot twenty-one year old musicians.

In my dreams.

The romance between Alyssa and Ronan wasn't the main focus of the story but it was a really nice sideline to everything else. It was by no means smooth sailing for the two of them. There's a lot for a new couple to be dealing with and I was glad that they questioned each other. They got angry with each other and they fought. For me, it all seemed to flow fairly naturally between them.

I loved the supernatural aspect of Banish. While Wicca is mentioned throughout and there are a few rituals and spells, it was never overwhelming to the point that I had no clue what was going on. It was explained just enough for me to wrap my head around and feel that it fit into Alyssa's world perfectly.

Banish is the first YA book published by Nicola Marsh and I found it to be a really enjoyable read and I hope that she dips her toes into the young adult world again.

4.25/5 Stars.

I received Banish for review via Netgalley from HarlequinTeen Australia ...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Nemo (The Moonlight Library) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, format-ebook, source-netgalley, stand-alone, sts, 2013-read, genre-contemporary, it-s-a-love-story-ruuuuuun, audience-young-adult, books-i-own

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Alyssa Woods ran away from a small town, an alcoholic mother, and a town favourite ex-boyfriend who commit suicide because she dumped him. Joining her high priestess aunt in New York city, she shuns the Wicca lifestyle, preferring to remain a ‘mundane’. When her crush, hot saxophone player Ronan shows her a music video, she’s the only one to see the dead body – and she recognises the victim. She has a week to find out who – or what – is messing w See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Alyssa Woods ran away from a small town, an alcoholic mother, and a town favourite ex-boyfriend who commit suicide because she dumped him. Joining her high priestess aunt in New York city, she shuns the Wicca lifestyle, preferring to remain a ‘mundane’. When her crush, hot saxophone player Ronan shows her a music video, she’s the only one to see the dead body – and she recognises the victim. She has a week to find out who – or what – is messing with her: is it her new crush, her aunt trying to convince her to practice Wicca, or something more sinister, like her dead ex-boyfriend?

Banish is your regular everyday paint by numbers YA paranormal romance thriller. There is absolutely nothing original in its pages and it’s exactly the kind of things you’d expect. No great prose, although there’s nothing wrong with the writing or narrative. Although Alyssa does wonder why anyone would be interested in a thin blonde with blue eyes (gee, I wonder who?) the pace and exposition both built decently and by approximately 38% I was hooked on the mystery of who was messing with her, and trying to figure it out along with her. Luckily for us, Alyssa is not a stupid girl and often cover her tracks and looks for backup in her investigation.

What this novel has going for it, and what makes it different to all the other paranormal romance novels is that Alyssa is much more mature than your regular Too Stupid To Live heroine. She confronts those she suspects, and she suspects everyone. There’s no, ‘Oh, I don’t trust him/her so I’m going to do my own sleuthing/stalking.’ There’s no ‘Oh, I love him so he couldn’t possibly hurt me.’ The conflict on Lyss and Ronan’s relationship comes from their miscommunication.

But I’m not sure that because this book is a little better than your average paranormal romance that it makes it worthy of better praise. It’s a solid effort and it’s clearly handled by someone who knows how to write books. If you like YA paranormal romance thrillers I’d definitely recommend it because by about halfway through I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down to go to sleep. This book is not part of a series but it is definitely set up to be.

Thanks to HarlequinTeen Australia and Netgalley for providing this advanced reader copy for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 24, 2013 Soph - Lock&Key rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: predictable-reads, read-in-2013, love-the-cover, wish-i-loved-it

2.5 stars.

It was lighthearted and fast paced. That's not always a bad thing, however because of the constant flicker of new events and pages of information loaded in one big chunk at a time, I found myself very distanced from this book. The characters lacked depth because everything was rushed. The mystery did have clues, but again the author didn't take their time and build suspense, instead everything kind of just overloaded when the book was finishing and then just abruptly ended.

Now enough ...more

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Jun 29, 2013 Kristy (Book Nerd Reviews) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Banish is a wonderful mix of genres – YA, romance, mystery and thriller – and being Nicola Marsh’s first YA book (she has published many other novels), I have to say that I was extremely impressed with her ability to write YA characters, and her ability to understand the teenage mind – their thought process, their actions and reactions.

Banish follows Alyssa, who has recently moved to New York to live with her Aunty after her own mother’s alcoholism becomes too much to handle, and her ex-boyfrien ...more

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Jun 29, 2013 Karla rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, read-in-2013, thriller, 2013-releases, for-review, arc

*I was provided with an electronic copy of this book from the author and HarlequinTEEN Australia in return of an honest review. No monetary compensation was provided in this exchange.*

Also found on Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf.

Both residents and visitors of The Greatest City In The World often comment on it's anonymity; the city's constant buzz and activity allows for them to fade into the background within it's streets, to be able to escape from one's history and the mistakes that they have made *I was provided with an electronic copy of this book from the author and HarlequinTEEN Australia in return of an honest review. No monetary compensation was provided in this exchange.*

Also found on Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf.

Both residents and visitors of The Greatest City In The World often comment on it's anonymity; the city's constant buzz and activity allows for them to fade into the background within it's streets, to be able to escape from one's history and the mistakes that they have made. For 17 year old Alyssa Wood, that reason in particular is what lead her to abandon her alcoholic and seemingly borderline insane mother in Broadwater for the bright lights of New York City and her well-known and often eccentric priestess aunt. For Alyssa, New York is a getaway. An escape from the past and the guilt that she is desperate to forget after her ex-boyfriend committed suicide... The day after she broke up with him.

Six months into the move, and things seem to start looking up for Alyssa. Her aunt is supportive, but not overbearing. She finds a best friend and school study partner in Seth who, like Alyssa, comes from a small town and seems to have secrets of his own. Alyssa even finds romance, companionship and acceptance in Ronan, a musician and IT geek. Ronan culminates their first date by sending Alyssa a video of him performing a song that he had written for her... only when she watches it, she sees a body. A bloody body. A bloody and possibly dead body. Her worries only tenfold when she determines that she is the only one who can see the body. As more and more pieces of Alyssa's hidden past show up in her new life, she must accept the possibility that her family's Wicca beliefs may not necessarily be beliefs and the past that she has tried so desperately to hide... and somehow save the familiar girl in the video, and herself, in the process.

Banish is a very interesting read that approaches urban magic in a distinct way. It is quite different from the typical paranormal stories that are often released, and I really liked Marsh's approach on the soul and the possibility of communicating with the dead who find themselves with unfinished business on Earth. Marsh did this in a way that wasn't terrifying or disturbing, yet still believable. I also enjoyed the little pieces of Alyssa's history that were shared with us, as she was a character that I had difficulty understanding and providing empathy for. I enjoyed seeing the details of Wicca magic and some of the beliefs that they have, as well as the spells that were shown to us readers. I LOVED the last 3/4 of the story, I couldn't put it down until the very last page. Nicola Marsh has a lot of potential with the thriller genre. On the other hand, I was not convinced of the romance between Ronan and Alyssa. I felt little chemistry or connection between them and their relationship development was quite lacking. I actually think the story would have gone better without the romance.

When stripped of the thrill and the mystery, Banish is a simple story of a girl who is trying to find her identity, of redefining oneself regardless of one's past and the mistakes that they may have made. It is simply a teenage girl, torn between her cultural roots and the expectations that society has placed on her. And I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. Alyssa's character development soars in the last 3/4 of the book. She is no longer the blind child of her past. But even with the thrill and mystery, Banish shows the story of loss. Of desperation and guilt and anger. Of horrors that are not necessarily Wiccan and how one's actions can affect so many other people. And it is a really good story.

For her first venture into YA and thriller, Nicola Marsh provides a very solid read in the form of Banish. I quite enjoyed it, and will definitely look forward to any follow ups and any other YA stories she chooses to share with us. For readers of YA paranormal and thriller, as well as lovers of urban fantasy and magic, Banish is a book worth checking out this summer. ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Rushita rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

Banish is a murder mystery with a supernatural twist and a little bit of romance thrown in. Nicola Marsh presents a story that is fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat. Marsh kept me flipping the pages to see what new horror Alyssa would have to contend with next.

Banish is centred on Alyssa Wood and the events of her past. Alyssa has an interesting upbringing. She comes from a family who have Wiccan beliefs. Her mother and aunt are practicing witches. However Alyssa does not hold the Banish is a murder mystery with a supernatural twist and a little bit of romance thrown in. Nicola Marsh presents a story that is fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat. Marsh kept me flipping the pages to see what new horror Alyssa would have to contend with next.

Banish is centred on Alyssa Wood and the events of her past. Alyssa has an interesting upbringing. She comes from a family who have Wiccan beliefs. Her mother and aunt are practicing witches. However Alyssa does not hold the same sentiments as her family and wants nothing to do with magic. After having a rough time with her mother’s alcoholism and her ex-boyfriends death, she leaves town to live with her aunt in Ney York. In the new city she escapes her past and move on with new friends. She also starts falling for jazz musician Ronan. When she opens a video clip that Ronan sends her, she witnesses a murder. From the moment she witnesses the murder, it becomes clear that someone is out to get her. Alyssa has to get to the bottom of who’s haunting her and come to terms with a past she thought she had left behind.

Marsh has a great unique voice that captures the teenage spirit and all the emotions that go with being a teenager. Told over the course of a week Banish is choc-a-block full of unexpected events that plague Alyssa. The book has great momentum, which keeps the story moving towards its conclusion. Although the story was predictable and I knew who the culprit was before the revel, the great part of this story was reading how it all unfolds and the investigative journey Alyssa takes to find her tormentor. The ending of the book takes a very dark turn and is quite disturbing so consider yourselves warned.

Alyssa truly gets harassed in this book and the events that cause her turmoil are very creepy. Despite all the threats being made, She holds herself together really well. She confronts her problems and the people around her instead of just hiding. She is very much an independent lady with a snarky straightforward personality. Ronan was an ok love interest and appeared to be a little too polished. At times it seemed as through he was just there, as a red herring. The romance in this book was portrayed as a very realistic and did not take over the story, but was present at the right intervals.

The Wiccan elements infused into this story were fantastic. They added another layer to this book and bought it to life. The rituals and traditions of the Wicca were explained in great detail that made it easy to understand how it was all part of Alyssa’s upbringing and how it all tied in with the murder mystery. Alyssa’s commentary about Hollywood’s interpretation of magic compared to Wiccan magick was very entertaining.

Although this book was set in New York with an American protagonist, there was an Aussie element present in this book. Nicola March is an Australian author and I loved her little shout out to vegemite. Also some of the slang that March used was Australian, such as ‘rocking up’. It’s a phrase that I use quite often and when I used to say it to my friend who was from overseas she would look at me and go what? I liked all the little Australian quicks that ended up in this book and I hope that Marsh writes a book that is set in Australia in the future.

Banish is a good read with a captivating murder mystery, supernatural elements, and witchy ways.

This review also appears at Ink Pages & Words ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Tien rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: moving-mountains, thriller, young-adult, mystery, paranormal

Just look at that cover – extremely eye-catching pink (have you seen my nails today?) with close-up of a gorgeous blond-blue-eyed chick. Yea, I am totally a sucker for pretty covers. I’ve not read any other of Nicola Marsh’s works though she seemed to be a prolific author; mostly adult romance novels which I rarely touch. This particular work in the YA / thriller / paranormal fits right within my comfort zone though so it was a snap decision to pick this up.

Alyssa came to New York to live with h Just look at that cover – extremely eye-catching pink (have you seen my nails today?) with close-up of a gorgeous blond-blue-eyed chick. Yea, I am totally a sucker for pretty covers. I’ve not read any other of Nicola Marsh’s works though she seemed to be a prolific author; mostly adult romance novels which I rarely touch. This particular work in the YA / thriller / paranormal fits right within my comfort zone though so it was a snap decision to pick this up.

Alyssa came to New York to live with her aunt in order to escape from a painful past. However, just as she thinks that things are settling down, she’s moving on and is starting to dare to grasp happiness once again, the past came back to haunt her. It’s driving her crazy because she refused to believe in the supernatural… She believes someone’s got it bad for her and her logical head is pushing for a realistic answer. Is she going to get the result she wanted and will it be free of the supernatural?

[Alyssa describing herself] …beanpole strawberry blonde with blah-blue eyes, no curves and a nasty habit of picking at her cuticles

Alyssa was an easily likeable character though I really get the feeling that all her refusal to believe in the supernatural was a little too forced. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. However, she really is a mature character as is evident by her dating older guys. And Ronan! Well, I’ve to say that not only is he HOT, he sounds to be really mature for a 21 year old musician! It was lovely to read a relationship where both sides knew the need to communicate and tried hard at it – a refreshing change in a romance! And let’s not forget the sizzles!

His knuckles grazed my cheek in a strangely intimate gesture that had me wanting to leap into his arms and wrap my legs around him, like some corny scene out of a romantic movie…. He stared at my mouth for another few seconds before he shook his head slightly, as if trying to clear the fog. I know the feeling. Confused, befuddled and totally in lust.

The book opens with a Prologue that was quite thrilling then the book started the week previous to explore events leading up to the prologue. I don’t usually find this type of start annoying but this particular one, I actually did. The start was pretty explosive that I found it hard to settle to read the book. I kept getting distracted and was really impatient to get to that part so I can move onto the next exciting bit but it turns out to be the ending of the book and it was repeated word for word which was somewhat disappointing. I skimmed that couple of pages to read the closing of the book.

Despite the above slight disappointment and the predictability of the mystery (I figured it out midway), I still quite enjoyed the book. Primarily due to the turn of language and the suspense was still there though hubz dared to show up (to pick me up from the station) when I was 5 pages from the end! Arrgh! Banish is a good-easy-read with enough sweetness and suspense to spice it up. I’d recommend it if you’re after some sweet brain-fluff to while away a summer’s day. This is the perfect book to read out in the sunshine.

Thank you, HarlequinTeen Australia, for providing copy of book in exchange of honest review
...more

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Jul 05, 2013 Novels On The Run rated it liked it · review of another edition

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle 26th July 2013:

RATING: 3.75 RONAN STARS!

This was a great start to this YA series. I am assuming it is a series with the lead in at the end of Banish for further instalments.

Alyssa Wood and Ronan are a great couple. In YA reads we are more often than not watching a couple get to know each other and a relationship happens over the course of the book. In this book, we kind of skip that part as they have known each other and the next step is more subtle as there is more goin ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Michelle novelsontherun rated it liked it · review of another edition

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Jun 10, 2013 Shaheen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Banish is Nicola Marsh's début YA novel, a who-done-it mystery combined with Wiccan supernatural elements that kept me engaged and amused throughout. I liked the novel a lot, and although I think the story is perfect on its own, wouldn't mind a follow-up book or two!

The YA aspect of the novel is handled very well, in my opinion, with the protagonist, Alyssa, painted as a mature, fiercely independent young woman who didn't have the best parental support growing up. Now living with her maternal au Banish is Nicola Marsh's début YA novel, a who-done-it mystery combined with Wiccan supernatural elements that kept me engaged and amused throughout. I liked the novel a lot, and although I think the story is perfect on its own, wouldn't mind a follow-up book or two!

The YA aspect of the novel is handled very well, in my opinion, with the protagonist, Alyssa, painted as a mature, fiercely independent young woman who didn't have the best parental support growing up. Now living with her maternal aunt, she's trying to make a normal life for herself and get over the death of her ex-boyfriend. However, coming from a family that believes in Wicca and the supernatural, and not believing any of it herself, Alyssa's hard pressed to figure out who she is. It's this struggle for a sense of self that I found the most intriguing about her, and I identified with her in a lot of ways: she won't let anyone get in her way, and is infuriating and stubborn at times!

I think the book is somewhat let down by the murder-mystery aspect - it's painfully obvious who the perpetrator is from about half way, after which we get treated to Alyssa turning a blind eye to the clues, until the climax where she's confronted with the facts. It wasn't particularly surprising, but I did find that the motivation of the 'enemy' to be very interesting, and it was cool to see the pieces slowly come together.

My favourite aspect of the novel is definitely the romance - simply because the whole 'oh there's a cute guy' and 'omg he looked at me / touched me briefly' stages have firmly passed by the time the novel begins. Ronan and Alyssa clearly have feelings towards one another, and begin to explore them early on, which is awesome, because I'm sick of the formulaic way YA protagonists go about falling in love these days. And no love triangle (although I was, briefly, very afraid there would be one). Perhaps some readers will dislike the book because of the way the romance is handled, preferring to witness the butterflies in the tummy and rushing heat propagating out from where they touch, and all that, but I loved it!

I really like YA novels inspired by Wicca and witches, but inevitably end up comparing them to my personal favourites, Cate Tiernan's Wicca (or Sweep in the US), series. I think Banish does an admirable job of living up to this standard, although I would have loved for the supernatural aspect to be explained more in-depth. There are terms thrown around fairly carelessly and the implications of Alyssa's supernatural journey are left too open-ended for my liking.

I recommend Banish to readers who are looking for a read that combines light-hearted humour with mystery and a hint of the supernatural. I really enjoyed it, and will be looking out for more of Nicola's books in the future.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic . ...more

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Jul 19, 2013 Anika Claire rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya, aussie-authors, fantasy, reviewed

Alyssa’s boyfriend committed suicide just after she dumped him, and on top of her mum’s strange behaviour and alcoholism this is all just too much. She flees to New York City to live with her aunt, who is a Wicca High Priestess. She loves living in the city and she is settling in to her new school. She has even been asked out by the hot music tutor, Ronan. But something strange starts to happen to Alyssa – one of Ronan’s music clips contains footage of a murdered person at the end, and when thin Alyssa’s boyfriend committed suicide just after she dumped him, and on top of her mum’s strange behaviour and alcoholism this is all just too much. She flees to New York City to live with her aunt, who is a Wicca High Priestess. She loves living in the city and she is settling in to her new school. She has even been asked out by the hot music tutor, Ronan. But something strange starts to happen to Alyssa – one of Ronan’s music clips contains footage of a murdered person at the end, and when things relating to her dead ex-boyfriend Noah start showing up, Alyssa is seriously freaked out. Is there someone out to get her, or is there something more supernatural at work?

Banish is a rather creepy paranormal thriller. The story takes a little while to get going, with Alyssa only gradually revealing what happened to her before coming to New York City, but once things get going the tension is high all the way through.

Sadly, the characters annoyed me. Ronan was too perfect and a rather creepy older guy – I kept thinking he would make a great psycho killer, even though it was rather obvious who the real baddie was going to be. Alyssa was just extremely selfish all the way through – she gets back home to find her mother feeling much better than she was before Alyssa left, and rather than be happy for her mum, she feels angry and upset that her mum is doing so much better without her. It’s not until the very end of the story that she matures slightly, enough to realise that the world doesn’t revolve around her and that she might have dealt with things differently. Also, she is a die-hard skeptic, even after paranormal events happen to her. As the child of a Wiccan, even as a supposed non-believer I thought that she might be slightly more open-minded than she was stubbornly being. I dunno, it’s probably just me being rubbed the wrong way!

Despite my character dislikes I did enjoy the overall storytelling style. I don’t know a lot about Wicca as a belief system but the elements of it within this book are well-written. It’s obvious that Nicola Marsh’s previous works are romances – the romantic scenes in Banish are rather swoony. The end of the story is left wide open for a sequel, so there’s a good chance I’ll pick up the next book in the series.

This review was originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Aussie Fantasy feature in July 2013. ...more

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Jul 19, 2013 Jennifer Meister rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Alyssa is not your typical 17 year old girl. Alyssa’s father deserted the family years ago, her mother is an alcoholic Wiccan, and her Aunt is the High Priestess of a witch’s’ coven. Alyssa’s Aunt Angie desperately wants Alyssa to follow the ways of the Wiccan, but Alyssa does not want any part of it. Aunt Angie and her sister, Aurora (Alyssa’s mother), believe in spirits, demons, possessions, and every other staple of the Wiccan faith. Alyssa thinks that these beliefs are just superstitions and ...more

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May 23, 2015 Paperback Princess rated it really liked it

Recommended to Paperback Princess by: Harlequin Teen

Shelves: tour, arc, for-review

Banish by Nicola Marsh is a very refreshing read within the YA Paranormal genre. I personally felt that Banish is more a mystery, psychological thriller with a slight paranormal twist. Nicola wrote Banish very well, in that I didn't guess who the culprit was. The slow manifestation of clues was well timed, and the conclusion was definitely one of the story's strong points. Banish is a nail biting, page-turning experience and it's definitely a fantastic start to a much anticipated series. I'm so ...more

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Jun 28, 2015 Alis rated it liked it

Shelves: series, reviewed, author-given

What I liked: I liked the way the story weaved together with its magic and mystery aspects. While, yes, there is romance in the book it is not the central focus of the story and is more of a side to it than anything (which is good for this book because I really think it would have just taken away from the actual plot of the story instead of adding anything to it), allowing the mystery that Alyssa gets swept up into be the part that was ever lurking and something that I looked forward to finding ...more

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Jul 05, 2013 Sheree rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, aussie-author, young-adult, read-in-2013

Magick, wicca, spells and witches with suspense, mystery, angst and a splash of romance ... if that gets your toes tingling then I think you'll enjoy Banish.

17 year old Alyssa wasn't easy to like, well not for me anyway. Her attitude towards her mother and Aunt bugged me but I'm trying to give her a break ... knowing the mystery shrouding her family and the trauma in her life, her snakiness was understandable, but then again she's not a stranger to drama or unaware of her family's Wiccan belief ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Tracey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-paranormal, young-adult, goodreads-firstreads, mystery-and-thriller

"But all logic's in he world didn't change facts.
And now this.
I didn't believe in magick.
I didn't believe in ghosts
So how the hell could I explain how
anonymous medium had connected my ex?"

I won this fantastic book of Goodreads Firstreads. It is one of my best books I have won and is on the top of my list of favourites. I loved the beautiful cover it really stood out. The story from beginning to end had me captivated, I don't normally like ghost stories but this one was written well and I lo ...more

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Jul 21, 2014 Kirsti rated it liked it · review of another edition

Banish is the kind of book that while vaguely enjoyable at the time, will probably be forgotten before much time has passed. There isn't very many 'bad' aspects to this book, but it isn't particularly fast paced, and is mainly predictable. For example, at one point Alyssa discovers a list of things that will occur if you're being haunted by a dark spirit. Then the things happen, practically in the order described. I guess as well as that was which character was behind it all or whether it was su ...more

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Dec 27, 2013 Ash rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, good-books-i-ve-read, witches, young-adult, supernatural, read-in-2014, ghosts, magic, death, hot-guy-characters

The front cover of the book one of the reviews written was "ten out of ten", I full heartedly believe this and I'll go one better saying it's 11/10 ! :)

I saw this book in a magazine that got reviewed and the cover drew me to it, when I read a bio on the book I was a little shocked that the book was about witches because I didn't think it was at all about that by the cover and then I considered not reading it as I don't like stories or witches. Luckly I actually did pick up the book at my librar ...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley

http://divainpyjamas.blogspot.com.au/...
Banish is a young adult psychological thriller with a paranormal twist. Although slow to start, as the storyline unravels you'll find yourself increasingly skittish. It's intense and unpredictable, not to mention creepy and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Even being a young adult release, it scared me senseless in parts, definitely not one to read alone at night.

It felt unfinished, so I wonder if there will be a follow up to tie up lose ends. If th ...more

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Nov 04, 2013 Alyssaluca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

***SPOILER ALERT****

I knew it! I was right! I cannot express enough how happy I am Ronan was let of the hook! I could tell Seth was no good... Even knowing Tabitha had something to do with it and Massimo, even that I knew Noah would become a huge part in it, it all fit perfectly- well plotted. The start was a tad boring, most starts are I guess. I give it a four of five stars for Nicola Marsh! It would have been nice for Noah and Alyssa to get on good terms with each other, the whole 'I'm sorry' ...more

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Jul 06, 2013 Tash rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Review to be posted on July 24

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Jul 07, 2013 Jesse rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaway-reads

Great storyline. Written so well its almost convinced me to believe

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Oct 14, 2013 Lily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It was really addictive but it was a bit creepy. I really enjoyed it though.

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Sep 09, 2015 Abbey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: magic, 4-star-read, books-read-in-2015

I enjoyed this book.

I liked that throughout it, you weren't sure if what was happening was actually happening and that is quite a fun thing to discover. ...more

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Sep 29, 2015 Nailián Yamel rated it it was amazing

Amazing

If you love some creepy story, this is for you. Niccola does a great work. I didn't felt bored at all. This is my first witchy story and Im loving it ! ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Sharon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-uf, blog-tour, arc, harlequin-teen

Review to come 24th July 2013

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Aussie Readers: Giveaway 2 copies BANISH by Nicola Marsh (INT & Aus/NZ Ends 8th Aug)	2	18	Jul 26, 2013 02:45AM
Bloggers Unite™ : Giveaway 2 copies BANISH by Nicola Marsh (INT & Aus/NZ Ends 8th Aug)	1	4	Jul 25, 2013 06:06PM
Book Giveaways: Giveaway 2 copies BANISH by Nicola Marsh (INT & Aus/NZ Ends 8th Aug)	1	8	Jul 25, 2013 06:04PM
Aussie Readers: (Ends 21st July) 10 copies BANISH Goodreads giveaway	7	30	Jul 05, 2013 03:16AM
Goodreads Authors...: [Ends 21st July] 10 copies BANISH Goodreads giveaway [AUS}	1	4	Jul 03, 2013 05:27PM
Aussie Readers: BANISH-YA thriller-Nicola Marsh	5	9	Jun 27, 2013 02:57PM

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About Nicola Marsh

Nicola Marsh

964 followers

USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning Australian author Nicola Marsh writes feel-good fiction…with a twist.

She has published 70 books and sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

She currently writes contemporary romance for Penguin Random House Berkley USA, domestic suspense novels for Hachette UK's Bookouture, and rural romance for Harper Collins Australia's Mira imprint.

She's a Waldenbooks, Books ...more